City Branding

A rally cry for an unexpected gem in the Midwest.

Cities have brands.We have all have perceptions about places we've never even been to. Comments from friends, the media, and personal experiences all come together to form opinions in our mind. And when it comes to Lincoln, Nebraska, there are a lot of misconceptions out there. We know, it's where Archrival makes its home.

Lincoln is an amazing city in an unexpected place. An awesome art scene, low poverty and crime rates, great schools, low commute times, a strong economy and friendly people has caught the attention of major companies and start ups who are taking notice of what’s happening here.

But Lincoln lacked a voice to proclaim it.

Enter the Chamber of Commerce and a vision to utilize the momentum of the city’s awakening. They asked us to team up to give Lincoln a brand that would reflect the awesome people living here and the inspiring things they’re doing. The arrow design designates the direction Lincoln is heading (up) and thinking (forward). Pulling out the arrow and the “L” left us with a positive symbol that felt like a new star for the capital of Nebraska.

Our philosophy about community branding believes that while a brand identity is important, it's just one small piece of a larger puzzle. An identity is a visual guide and organizer; the real brand of a city is in all the touch points it has with citizens and visitors.

The key to city branding success lies in the community support behind it. We needed every government department, business, organization, church and influencer to stand behind the brand and want to be a part of the movement. After all, they are Lincoln! So we created a system that expanded the identity to virtually anyone who wanted to use it. The libraries could do a “Read Lincoln” campaign or Parks & Rec could do a “Bike Lincoln” effort. We’re happy to report that Lincoln is all in… from the mayor’s office to the biggest and smallest of businesses, the branding campaign has become a unifying rally cry for its citizens.

The new brand has allowed us to be unified in our love and promotion of our city. It’s given us license to be proud… and to do some fun things other cities can’t do.

The brand teamed up with the Children's Museum to break two world records for a structure made out of Lincoln Logs.

Water towers legally have to painted every so often, so why not use them as an artistic canvas for a good brand message?

As the campaign continues to grow, Archrival is proud to be a part of the collaboration with so many people. Designing a brand for a city isn’t easy… but it’s one of the most important projects we’ve ever been a part of. Thanks to the Chamber for stepping up and making this happen.